Winding mechanism



M.'S. ROSENFELD.

WINDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1919.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- M. S. R'OSENFELD. WINDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, I919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Feb. 24, I920.

W III I clutch, and so the speed of the reel, is under the efiicient control of the tape. The s stem UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAURICE S. BOSENFELD, OENEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A SSIGNOR TO .D'ECALMO MACHINE COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

WINDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb 24,- 1920.

Original application filed August 10, 1918, Serial No. 249,314. Divided and this application filed July 15, 1919. Serial Nb. 311,011.

' This application is a division of application Serial Number 249,31d, filed August 10, 1918. v

In winding up a web or strip of tape on a reel, if the speed of rotation of the reel is uniform and the web or tape is fed to the reel at a uniform rate, an increasing tension is put upon the tape as the. roll of tape onthe reel increases in size. If the web or tape is of paper or similar substance, the strain to which it-is'subjected is often suiiicientto break or tear it. It has, therefore, been proposed heretoforev to control the speed of rotation. of the reel onwhich the tape 's being I the tape Wlll be. uniform throughout the entire winding operation, regardless of the size of the roll of tape on the reel. The object of the present invention is to improve upon the construction and arrangement of the parts of a winding mechanism to the end that the operation'of winding up a tape may .be more e ciently performed and with less.

liability of tearing the ta e .,than is possible with the devices hereto ore produced for this purpose. With thisl object in view, one

feature of the invention consists in driving the reel onwhich the tape is wound, frictionally, as by a clutch or the like, and connecting. the brake for the driven part of the clutch witlna member in engagement with the tape, by a seriesof levers so constructed and arranged that the slightest variation of the tension on the tape will be efiectively communicatedto the brake, with the result that the speed of the driven part of the of levers is so arranged that a tape 0 delicate and easily tearable material, such as transfer tapes on which decalcomanias are printed and motion picture films, may be wound without liability of tearing. Other features of 'the invention will be pointed out wound, so that the tension on as the description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention proceeds. The improved winding mechanism is applicable to various kinds of machines which are adapted to operate on a continuous web or strip of tape, and in which the tape is unwound from a supply reel, operated upon and then wound up on a take-up reel. For the purposes of description, the machine illustrated in the drawings and to which the winding mechanism of the invention is, applied is a printlngpressadapted for printing decal- .comanias on transfer tapes, but it will be understood that the mechanism of theinvention is not limited toapplication to printing presses, since it may be applied to such other machines of the. type described above, such as motion picture projectors, in WhlCh a .web or tape 1s unwound from one reel and wound up on another, c In the accompanyingdrawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Fig-,

ure -1 is a side elevation of a printing ress adapted for printing decalcom. mas, s owing the application of the improved winding 1 mechanism thereto; Fig. 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of a part-of the winding mechanism, the clutch. device thereof andassociated parts being shown in section;

.Fig. 3 is a detail of a tension device; Fig. 4

is a transverse section through the brake device; and Fig. 5' is a top plan of the brake device.

The printing press shown in the drawings for the purpose of illustrating the principle of operation ofthe-winding mechanism comprises a series of cooperating printing rolls and a series of feed rolls for feeding the tape to the printing rolls. The feed rolls are indicated at 10 and the printing rolls at 12;

motor 20 drives the various active parts of the printing press. The printing rolls,

feed rolls and much of the windingv or takeup mechanism are supported from a frame 21 rising from the table 18. Thefeed rolls 10 are driven at a uniform rate of speedin synchronism with the rate of rotation of the printing rolls. Between the feed rolls and the printing rolls the tape. forms a loop 22. i As the roll of printed tape being Wound on the take-up reel 16 grows in size, the increasing peripheral speed of the roll of tape imposes an increasing tension on the part of the tape extending from the take-up reel to the printing rolls. The speed of rotation of the take-up reel is so controlled by the winding mechanism that the tension on the part of the tape extending from the take-up reel to the printing, rolls is ,kept uniform and" therefore all liability of the tape breaking or tearing is obviated. This winding mechanism comprises the take-up reel 16. and means for actuating the reel. The reel'is provided with a core upon which the printed tape is wound up. It is obvious that when the roll of tape on the core is relatively small, the take-up reel must move through a greater angular distance in order to take up the slack between the printing rolls and the takeup reel than the angular distance it must move through when the roll of tape on the core is relatively large. And so, if the takeup reel were driven at aconstant speed, the growing roll on the core would soon exert a breaking or tearing strain on the length of tape extending from the printing rolls to the take-up reel. The winding mechanism is so constructed "that the take-up reel is not I driven positively and at a constant speed,

- to take up the slack until thetension on.

but is actuated intermittently according to the tension on the length of tape extending from the printing rolls to the reel. When the tension exceeds a predetermined amount,

the take-up reel is held fast or its rotation is slowed down until the tension falls below the predetermined amount, whereupon the take-up reel is actuated at normal speed the tape again exceeds the predetertmined amount.

The core of the take-up reel is loosely supported on a studi24 fixed in the outer end of the bracket 17. The-coreof the take-up reels is in driving engagement with a bevel gear 25 journaled on the bracket 17. The

gear 25 meshes with and is driven by a bevel 'gear 26 fixed on a shaftl27 journaled in bearings on the bracket 17. The shaft 27 is connected by a universal joint 28 to a link 29, which in turn is connected by a second uni versal joint 30 to one end of a shaft 31 journaled in a bracket 32 fastened to theframe 21. The other end of the shaft 31 carries a clutch disk 33 in driving connection with a second clutch disk 34 by means of a friction washer 35 interposed between the up reel.

secured on a collar 41 fixed to the shaft 37,

serves to yieldingly pressthe disk 34 and the friction washer 35 against the clutch disk 33. A check nut 42 holds the cup 40in adjusted position. The shaft 37 is rovided with a gear 44 which meshes with and is driven by a-gear 45 which receives its actuation from the motor 20. through connections not material to the disclosure ofthe present invention. The rate of rotation of the takeup reel is substantially one and one-half times as fast as the rotation ofthe printing rolls and the feed rolls.

So long as the tension on the part of the printed tape extending from the printing rolls to the take-up reels is less than a certain amount, the clutch disk 34 is permitted to drive the clutch disk 33 and the parts. connecting it with the take-up reel; but when the tension on this part of the tape exceeds the redetermined amount, then the clutch disk- 33 is held fast or is slowed down, so that the clutch disk 34 slips thereon and either no turning movement or but little turning movement is imparted to the take- This continues until the tension on the tape decreases to a point below the predetermined amount, whereupon the clutch disk 33 is released to permit the take-up reelto be actuated at normal speed. The devices for holding and releasing the clutch disk 33 comprise 'a. tensionroll 47 arranged to engage the under surface of the printed tape as it passes from the printing rolls to the take-up reel. The tension roll 47 isjournaled same direction, the upand down movements of the free end of the arm 51 are ofthe same extent and synchronous with the up and down movements of the tension roll 47 The free end of the arm 51 is pivotally connected with the free end'ofthe long arm 52 of a lever 53 pivoted at 57 to the frame 21, the

short arm 54 of the lever 53 being connected by a link 55 with the free end of a lever 56 One end of the shaft 49 extends plvoted at 57 on an inward extension of the bracket 32. A turn buckle 58 is provided to regulate the length of the link 55. A metallic brake-band 60, one end of which is loosely connected with the pivot pin 57 of the lever 56 and the other end of which is loosely connected to the lever 56 by a pin 62, surrounds the clutch disk 33 and is receivedin a groove in the periphery thereof. It will be clear from a consideration of Fig. 4 that when the link is raised the brake-band is tightened on the clutch disk 33 to hold it fast or to slow down its rotation, and, conversely, when the link 55 is .depressed the brakeband 60 is loosened on the clutch disk to permit it to turn at normal speed.

It will be noted that the lengths of the arms 52 and 54 of the lever .53 are so proportioned that a slight amount offorce exerted on the free end of the arm 52 will exert'a considerableamount of force on the link 55, this force being proportionate tothe relative lengths of the arms 52 and 54. Consequently, the thin, delicate tape with which the tension roll 47 is in engagement is able to exert a force upon the link 55 sufficient to cause the brake-band 60 to tightly hug the clutch disk 33 and thereby prevent the clutch disk 34 from driving it and the take-up reel. The tension roll 47 is yieldingly pressed upwardly into engagement with the under surface of the tape by means of a spring 64, one end of which is connected with an extension of the arm 51 and the other end of which is connected with an adjusting screw 66 loosely received in a hole in a stud 67 secured'to the bracket 50. Check nuts 68 secure the adjustingscrew 66 in adjusted position. By adjusting the screw 66 in the stud 67 then ward pressure of the tension roll againstt e tape may be nicely regulated and the action of the tape against the tension roll thereby controlled. So long as the tension of the tape exceeds the predetermined amount, which, of course, will depend upon the, tension of the spring 64, it serves to depress the tension roll 47, thereby depressing the pivotal connection 7 0 between the arm 51and the arm52. (The depression of the free outer .end of the arm '52 of the lever 53 serves to raise the link- 55 and thereby tighten the brake-band 60 on the clutch disk 33. So long'as the tension roll 47 continues to be pressed downward by the tension of the tape against it, the brake-band 60 is in braking engagement with the disk 33 and the take-up reel is held from turning. During this operation the printed tape is, of course, continuously delivered from the printing rolls, and so 'the tension on the part of the tape extending from the printing rolls to the take up reel constantly becomes less, with the resultthat the tension roll 47 is finally permitted to rise and thereby loosen the band 60 on the clutch disk 33 to-permit the clutch disk 34 to drive it and the take-up reel. Thereupon, the actuation of the take-up reel continues until the tension on the tape againbecomes sufficient to depress the tension roll. The cscillations of the tension roll, the downward movements of which are imparted by the tlghtening ofthe tape and the upward movements of which are imparted by the spring 64, occur with great rapidity. This is owing to the small arc of the oscillations, which in turn is owing to the rapidity with which the tape gains and loses its predetermined amount of tension. In practice this part of the tape seems to flutter.

It will be understood, as .before pointed out, that the improved winding mechanism of the present invention is not to be limited in its application to printing presses, but that it is equally well adapted for ap lication to controlling the actuation of ta e-up reels employed for winding webs or tapes into rolls, whatever the nature or purpose of the web or tape. The essential feature of this part of the invention lies in controlling the actuation of ,a'reel according to the tension of the tape being wound on the reel. The parts operate normally so long as the tension of the tape is less than a predetermined amount, the tape passing loosely over the tension roll 47 and exerting no downward pressure upon it. The spring for pressing the tension roll into engagement with the tape is of but slight tension and serves tohold the tension roll in normal position. An important feature of the present invention is the fact that the spring for holding the tension roll in engagement with thetapeplays no part in the actuation of the' take-up reel, but its sole and exclusive function is to hold the tension. roll lightly in engagement with the tape. The result Y is that the tension permitted to be exerted upon the tape is always well under the ten sile strength of the tape.

I Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1s 1. A. winding mechanism for winding up a roll of tape or the like comprising a reel on which the tape is wound, means ifor feeding a strip of tape to the reel,-'--.fspringpressed frictional means for actuating the reel, tension means for engaging the tape, a second sprin for pressing the tenslon means against t e tape and connections between the tenslon means and the reel actuing astrip of tape to the reel, a clutch for actuating the-reel, a spring of relatively heavy tension for holding the clutch in reelactuatin condition, a tension roll for engaging t e tape, a second spring of relatively light tension for pressing the tension roll against the tape, and means connecting the to the reel and means for holding t e parts of the clutch together with the same amount of frictional engagement at all times during the operation of the mechanism,

a 4. A winding mechanism for winding up a roll of tape or the like comprising a reel on which the tape is wound, means for feeding the tape to the reel, actuating means for the reel including a clutch, and means for controlling the actuation of thereel according to the tension on the length of tape extending from the feeding means to the reel, including a tension roll in engagement with the tape, a brake on the driven member of the clutch and connections between the ten sion roll and the brake.

5. A winding mechanism for winding up a roll of tape or the like comprising areel on which the tape is wound, means for feeding the tape to the reel, actuating means for the reel including a clutch, a brake on. the driven member of the clutch, a tension roll yieldingly pressed against the length of tape extending from the feeding means to the reel, and connections between the brake and the tension roll acting to tighten the brake when the tension of the tape issuch as to move the tension roll and to loosen the brake when the tension of the tape is such that it is moved by the tension roll.

6. A winding mechanism for winding up a roll of tape or-the like comprising a reel onwhich the tape :is wound, means for feeding the tape to the reel, means for actuating the reel including a clutch, avbrake on thedriven member of the clutch, a tension'roll yleldingly pressed against the length of ta e extending from the feeding :means to vtlie reel, and a series of levers connecting the tension roll and the brake for tightening or loosening the brake according as the tension roll is moved by or moves the part of the tape with which it is in contact.

7. A winding mechanism for winding up a. roll of tape or the like comprising a reel i on which the tape is wound, reel driving means, means for feeding a tape to the reel, and means for frictionally engaging the reel driving means to slow up the rotation of the reel when the tension on the tape exceds a predetermined amount. C

8. A winding mechanism for winding up a roll of tape or the like comprising a reel on which the tape is wound, means for feeding the tape to the reel, a, twopart clutch for actuating the reel, a spring for holding the parts of the clutch in frictional engagement, a roll for engaging the tape, a second spring for pressing the roll into engagement with the tape, a brake on the driven art of the clutch and connections between t e roll an the brake. I

A winding mechanism for winding up a roll of tape or the like comprising a reel on which the tape is wound, means for feeding the tape to the reel, frictional means including a spring for actuating the reel, tape engaging means, a second spring of relatively light tension for pressing the tape engaging means against the tape and con nections between the tape'engaging means and the frictional reel-actuating means whereby the latter is controlled according to the tension on the length of tape extending from the feeding means to the reel.

10. A winding mechanism for winding up a roll of tape or the like comprising a reel on which the tape is wound, means for actuating the reel, including a clutch, means for feeding a tape to the reel, a brake on the driven part of the clutch, a lever having a short arm and a relatively long arm, almk connecting the short arm with the brake,

means connected with the free end of the long arm and in engagement with the tape, and means for yieldingly pressing said tape engaging means against the tape.

MAURICE S. ROSENFELD. 

